The Alberta Government has announced a change that will be implemented January 2nd, 2018.

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Only partial details are available at the moment.

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Effective January 2018, the AINP will be modernized.

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The previous Employer Driven Stream and Strategic Recruitment streams will be eliminated in January 2018. Those will be replaced by the Alberta Opportunity Stream and Self Employed Farmer Stream.

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The Government will also be using the Express Entry system to pick and nominate individuals. This will be initiated by the Alberta Government and is not a stream that individuals can apply to. More information is expected in January.

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In the mean time, the Province will continue accepting applications under the current Streams.

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Alberta Opportunity Stream: Requirements

1. Occupation

At the time of the application the person must be working in an eligible occupation in Alberta. Most occupations under National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels 0, A, B, C and D are eligible under the AINP. There is a list on ineligible occupations that may change from time to time.

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2. Residency and Work Permit

At the time of the application:

have a valid temporary resident status in Canada that authorizes you to work. Refugees, those under appeal or removal proceedings and temporary residents living outside of Alberta are ineligible.

have a valid work permit based on a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment, or an LMIA exemption.

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3. Language

At the time of the application must have minimum Canadian Language Benchmark 4 for all disciplines in English or French for the majority of NOC codes.

If you apply under NOC code 3413 (nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates), the minimum language is 7.

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4. Education

At the time of the application must have completed minimum Canadian high school diploma or equivalent, verified through an Educational Credential Assessment.

This is not required if the education was done in Canada. , or if you have work experience that qualifies you for the AINP in a compulsory or optional trade.

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5. Work Experience

At the time of the application, must have either:

Minimum of 12 months full-time work experience in your current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months; or

Minimum of 24 months of full-time work experience in your current occupation in Canada and/or abroad within the last 30 months. This work experience can be a combination of experience gained in Alberta, in Canada (outside Alberta) and/or abroad.

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At the time of the application:

must have the required licensing, registration or certification to work in your current occupation in Alberta.

must have a real full-time job offer from an Alberta employer to work in your current occupation in Alberta and be working full-time for that employer in Alberta in that occupation.

The job offer must be signed and must offer:

Continuous, paid work,

Full-time work, defined as a minimum of 30 hours/week for 12 months,

Work in your current occupation, and

Work for an eligible AINP occupation for which you have a work permit that meets AINP work permit requirements.

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The following individuals are not eligible, even if they have a job offer to work 30 hours a week or more in a 12-month period:

Part-time employees, regardless of their working hours,

Independent contractors, business owners or temporary agency workers, or

Employees who work in Alberta in a place of employment that is not zoned for commercial or industrial operations, such as a home-based business

Employees who do not work on premises in Alberta, such as those who work in a “virtual” location or serve the employer by telecommuting from a location outside Alberta.

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6. Income Level

At the time of the application, you must meet a minimum gross annual income level based on your family size.

A family can include:

You, and

Your spouse or common-law partner

Your dependent children

Your spouse or common-law partner’s dependent children

Any dependent children of your dependent children

Any dependent children of your spouse or common-law partner’s dependent children

Dependent children must be under the age of 19 and not have a spouse or common-law partner, or 19 or older and are unable to be financially self-sufficient since before the age of 19 due to a physical or mental condition

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Gross Income Thresholds Table

Number of members in family unit (including you) Gross annual income required (CAD)

1 $24,952

2 $35,287

3 $43,218

4 $49,904

5 $55,794

6 $61,120

7 $66,017

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Self-Employed Farmer Stream

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Prior managerial experience with an existing farm enterprise;

Education, training and work experience necessary to develop a sustainable farming business in Alberta;

A business plan for the farming enterprise to be developed in Alberta;

Evidence that a Canadian financial institution is willing to finance the proposed farming enterprise;

A minimum of $500,000 of equity to invest in the farming enterprise;

A minimum net worth of $500,000 or confirmation of access to these funds from other sources.